“Troubling, unethical land deals have made Rick Perry a millionaire while he’s been on taxpayer salary for the last 25 years,” said Bill White. “Who did Perry get an ethics opinion from on this, and when will he release that opinion to the public? Did Perry have independent estimates of the market value of the property he purchased from a state official and sold to someone involved in the international arms trade? Did other people purchase and sell land through this company without a seller’s commission?”

“The governor is supposed to serve the people of this state, not use his office for special favors and personal profit,” White said.

For the White campaign news release on the sheriffs, please read the extended entry.

News release:

FORT WORTH — Sheriffs from across Texas endorsed Bill White today after he spoke at the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas conference in Fort Worth. The endorsing sheriffs represent about 50 percent of Texans and 99 percent of Texans who live in counties that touch the border with Mexico.

White pledged to be a partner to law enforcement, saying, “I will be a governor who makes law enforcement a top priority. I committed to do that as Houston’s mayor, and we came through, cutting crime rates to their lowest levels in decades.”

Endorsed by 10 out of 15 sheriffs whose county lines touch the border, White also emphasized the need to get local law enforcement in the area the resources they need.

“What we need on the border is not just any ‘boots on the ground,’ but officers who are authorized to make criminal arrests. For nine and a half years, Rick Perry has had the opportunity to get the needed resources to the border, and he’s failed,” said White.